I Love You
by odestaonly
Summary: The first time Finnick confesses his love to Annie.


**I Love You**

"Annie?" I say when I see her lying on the beach, letting the waves wash over her again and again.

"Finnick there you are." She says and sits up. She giggles when a wave hits her square in the face. "I've been looking for you." She says.

Well, it is Tuesday and I always go for early morning walks so her running into me was going to happen. She gets up from the water and almost stumbles when a wave hits her again.

"Were you?" I ask with a smile.

She reaches for my hand which I take easily. She likes holding my hand, she says it keeps her grounded.

I look at her and smile. Her green eyes are gleaming from the sun and her slightly wet hair is loosely braided with a few stray pieces that frame her face. It makes her look more beautiful and brings out the green in her eyes. She's wearing her dark navy swimsuit that goes well against her creamy skin.

I can tell by the crease on her brow that she is nervous, but other than that she has a wide smile.

_Today is a good day. I just hope I don't ruin it for her._

"Yeah. I've been getting the feeling you've been avoiding me. I might just be paranoid..." She says and bites her lip.

She must think this paranoia is all in her head. It's not unreasonable for her to think this. The paranoia happens more than she would like to admit. The Games made her paranoid more than she should be. Every noise at night every. Every bird that chirps. The gardeners at her front lawn. Myself walking in unannounced are all things that make her uncomfortable and sometimes make her think that someone might be after her.

She isn't like that every day. It's been getting better, but some days are worse than others. She asks me a lot if the paranoia she feels is real or not. Most of the time it isn't she told me once she can only tell when I'm with her.

She isn't paranoid this time because I have been avoiding her. It's getting harder and harder not to tell her I love her. Me falling in love with her was like a slow burn that burned inside me until it completely consumed me. I didn't realize it was happening until it was too late. I've been holding this inside for over a year because I don't want to tell her. It's not because I'm afraid things will get awkward and she will never want to see me again. It's because she deserves better. She deserves someone better. I'm not a good guy for her. She deserves someone, not being a sexual plaything.

Annie was so angry when I told her about Snow and the Capitol citizens. I think this is the only time I saw her angry, truly angry. Her green eyes held fire and her hands shook with rage. She wasn't angry with me. She was angry with the situation. She was mad at Snow. She was mad that she didn't see it before. She was mad that she couldn't help me. She was mad. I expected her to cry not burst out in a rage induced rant. She kept saying she was sorry. I don't know what for, it wasn't her fault.

I think that is the moment I knew I loved her. I thought I did, but wasn't sure. After this though I just knew. I knew I was in love with her. I knew I was in trouble.

Capitol citizens tell me they love me all the time. I know they don't truly mean it, you can't love someone you just met. Annie though was real I was really in love with her. I am really in love with her.

I rub the back of my neck.

"Finnick?" She says confused. She knows I do this when I'm uncomfortable. I planned on telling her the next time I saw her. I was convincing myself it was to make up so sort of big speech leading up to the confession. I was really just avoiding her. Finnick Odair too chicken to tell a girl, _the_ girl that I love her.

"You're not paranoid Annie."

She looks relieved then confused and worried.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She asks softly.

Her thumb is drawing circles on my hand and her eyes are starting to get cloudy. It's what happens when she fades away.

"Annie." I say and squeeze her hand gently trying to calm her down.

She blinks a few times and her green eyes are no longer clouded.

"Finnick." She says softly.

I sigh and place one of the stray hairs behind her ear.

"I've been avoiding you because I've been wanting to tell you something."

"Something I won't like?" She asks confused.

"Maybe." I say.

"You can tell me anything Finnick." She says and gently squeezes my hand.

"I know." I say.

"So?" She asks.

The poor excuse of a speech I made falls to the back of my mind and I just blurt it out.

I love you."

"I love you too." She says so effortlessly as if I've been saying this to her every day rather than the first time.

"Not like that." I say and she looks confused. "I'm in love with you and not in a you're my best friend. In the way where I care about you more than myself. In the way where I can't stop thinking about you. In the way I want to stay by your side. I want to spend every second with you. I want you to be happy. In the way where I want you to have everything even if it leaves me with nothing. " I say and sigh. "I'm in love with you Annie and I don't think I will ever be able to stop."

Annie smiles. She gets on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek.

"I love you too Finnick and not in the best friend way. I love you in the way where my heart aches for you and I didn't tell you because I was too afraid." She says. She isn't looking at me she is looking at the waves.

I run my finger on her cheek so she will look at me.

"Why were you afraid?" I ask.

"Because I'm me." She whispers.

"But I love you, all of you Annie even the bad stuff I love." I say and kiss her forehead.

She smiles and lets go of my hand to wrap it around my neck.

I stare at her face she's so pretty. Her clear green eyes. The freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her dark hair. Her creamy skin. Her lips perfect and pink.

"I love the bad stuff about you too Finnick." She whispers.

She leans in and we kiss.

I've been kissed by a lot of people and most of them were unwanted, but this isn't. The way her soft warm lips press against mine and how gentle and innocent the kiss is makes it feel like nothing before.

She breaks the kiss and smiles.

"C'mon on Finnick." She says with a smile and kisses my cheek.

She takes my hand in hers and starts to walk off.

"Where are we going?" I ask as she tows me down the beach.

"The ocean. Your love confession messed up my morning exercise." She says with a smile.

"Oh I see." I let go of her hand and pick her up.

"Finnick." She giggles. A sound I don't hear often.

"Gotta get you there as soon as possible then."

When I finally put her down she splashes me and smiles.

"Annie." I say and wipe the water from my face.

"Just remember I love you." She says and continues to splash me.

The sound of her laughing fills my heart. I can't remember the last time I heard her laugh like this. I don't know if I've ever heard her laugh this much. It doesn't stop until the water is up to our hips.

Her hair is all messed up now and I'm sure mine is as well. She puts her hands around my neck again.

"I love you." I say and kiss her. Before she can say it back a wave hits us soaking us completely and causing her to laugh loudly.

"I love you too." She says and runs back to the beach giggling.

I love that sound.

I chase after her. The rest of the morning is filled with laughing and I love yous and I really do and so does she. We love each other completely.


End file.
